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For the last ten years the UK Tory Government has been in power, during which time they have cut NHS funding in real terms, spent billions from its budget on privatising it bit by bit, and through it’s racists policies, ensured it has lost some 40,000 nurses and 10,000 doctors. Worse still, the British Government knew in 2015 that preparedness from any pandemic is wholly inadequate, and told its ‘independent’ body to change their recommendations, which they did in 2016; in order to ensure they didn’t need to fund any buying of additional ventilators or PPE knowing that in the case of ventilators, the NHS had only just over 5,000 and fewer ICU beds than most European countries. The reality now that Covid-19 is here in the UK, after a minimum of 3 months advanced warning; the Gvoernment’s inept and complacent pilicies, and some say criminal, over health and social care; will now force doctors to have to choose who lives and who dies! The Royal College of Physicians has today issued the following statement and published ethical guidance for frontline staff dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, supported by more than a dozen other health organisations: The presence or absence of COVID-19 should not be a limiting factor in treatment decisions. Where care between a COVID-19 patient and another patient in need of care is in question, care should be prioritised based on national guidance. Decisions made, regardless of whether they are COVID-19 related, should be done according to protocol, as per good clinical practice; ideally by more than one clinician and, in ITU, involving the entire multidisciplinary team. Accountability remains unchanged and such decisions should be robustly documented.
As well as having a duty to protect the public from harm, doctors have a right to protect themselves so that they can continue to care effectively, and it would be ethical for those who would be harmed by contracting COVID-19, including doctors aged over 70 or with underlying health conditions – as per the government’s guidance – to refrain from treating patients with (or suspected to have) the virus. They should instead take on duties away from high risk areas. Clinicians should receive support from government and their employing trusts or health boards. Those working outside of their usual remit must get appropriate training and all frontline staff must have access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. They should immediately report any instance of being asked to care for patients without PPE to their clinical director or here The RCP’s guidance is supported by: Royal College of Anaesthetists, You can download the full Ethical Guidance document from the Unionsafety E-Library or direct from this page by clicking on the cover picture above. Source: Royal College of Physicians / unionsafety
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Members of the RCP’s Committee on Ethical Issues in Medicine, chaired by Dr Alexis Paton, developed the guidance, which is supported by nine other Royal Colleges and five medical faculties. It takes into consideration recent joint statements from the General Medical Council (GMC), the NHS and the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers.